CFL.ca
Montreal – When people discuss the great catches made by Montreal Alouettes’ slotback S. J. Green, most argue the best was his diving one-hand grab at the back of the end zone for a two-point convert in a July 2010 game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Green has his own favourite. Two of them actually, both coming in 2011. One was a reach-from-behind snag against Hamilton Tiger-Cat defensive back Bo Smith. The other was when he went up and outfought Ryan Phillips and Dante March for the ball in a game against the B.C. Lions.
“Those two catches stick out in my head,” said Green.
Through a nine-year CFL career Green has more than his share of highlight reel catches. He’s won two Grey Cup with Montreal and has been an Eastern Division All-Star four times.
This has been difficult season for the Alouettes (5-10). They are battling to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time in 20 years and badly need a win Friday against Toronto (9-6) to keep alive their hopes of crossing over to the West Division.
“It’s definitely not what we want as a team,” Green said about the season. “Individually there are plays that have occurred throughout the course of the season that I would like to have back.
“I do feel like I am capable of making some of the most ridiculous plays that can be made (so) I hold myself to a high standard. In regards to how I feel about his season . . . I feel I’m being consistent but I would like to have a couple of plays back.”
So far this year the 30-year-old from Fort Worth, Tex., has 63 catches for 958 yards. With three games left on the schedule Green should go over 1,000 yards for the fourth time in five years.
At six-foot-two and 216 pounds, Green isn’t the biggest target. Like all good receivers he has the ability to get open. He has sure hands and the strength to battle for balls.
Green believe its preparation, both mental and physical, which breeds consistency.
“The first thing is the mentality of the player,” he said. “The will to not be denied, the will to succeed. I think that has a lot to do with it.
“Also the off-season preparation. The work you put into your craft. The willingness and the ability to communicate with the quarterback. The willingness to put those extra hours in.”
Last season Green had 53 catches for 835 yards in 16 games while catching passes from four different quarterbacks. Injuries have resulted in the Als using four quarterbacks again this year.
“It’s an adjustment on both ends,” Green said about the changes at pivot. “They have to get used to our body language as far as breaking in and out of routes. We have to get used to the flight of the ball, the directory of the ball, the release, how they see defences.
“It’s a gelling process that has to take place. It takes time. At the end of the day everybody throws the ball and all receivers are expected to catch it. It is difficult at times to go through the adjustments of different quarterbacks but that’s part of the game.”
For most of Green’s career he caught passes thrown by future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Anthony Calvillo. This year Calvillo is Montreal’s offensive co-ordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Green said there’s been a transition from dealing with Calvillo as a teammate to now as a coach.
“In Calvillo’s day and time we didn’t talk much,” Green said. “You didn’t have to question him, you didn’t have to talk to him. Every expectation was already assumed.
Everything was on point. Everything was set in stone. You knew what you had to do. There was no confusion.
“Now as a coach and player relationship, we talk a lot more than we talked as players. In a player’s relationship we had that trust factor that everybody was going to do their job and win their matchups. As a coach, we have to talk those things out and communicate more. The level of communication has increased. It’s a learning curve for both of us.”
Asked who had the most influence on his career and Green lists Jim Popp, Montreal’s general manager and current coach; former coach Marc Trestman; and former teammate Jamel Richardson.
Popp had the confidence to sign Green after watching him in a 2007 tryout while Trestman taught him “how to learn football.”
Richardson was a friend and mentor.
“That was the guy who took me under his wing and believed in me almost before I believed in myself,” said Green. “He pushed me to not be afraid to achieve greatness.”
“There is a first for everything,” said Green. “We are a very confident group. We feel we can cross over and make a run. At the end of the day, if we put it all on the line like we are supposed to do, and we win and get into the playoffs, I strongly and firmly believe we are the last team every team in the playoffs wants to see.
“In the playoffs it could be dangerous. We still believe. We still know what we have and what our goals are. We’re still in contention for our goal of winning the Grey Cup.”
